After announcing the "next generation MacBook Pro" complete with Retina Display, Apple let WWDC attendees spend some quality time with the machine and AppleInsider was there to grab some up-close photos.

"The most beautiful computer we have ever made"

That's what Apple is calling the new Retina Display-toting MacBook Pro, and the company had an example on display at WWDC. The unit was protected by a plexiglass cylinder, but guests were able to get close enough to get a feel for the high-resolution display and redesigned port layout.

First look at the sleek outer design of Apple's new MacBook Pro.

Off-axis screen on the MacBook Pro's 15.4-inch 2,880 by 1,880 pixel screen jams in 220 pixels-per-inch and is quite impressive to the naked eye, though future tests will show just how it compares with current models. Note the deep blacks and reduced glare, which Apple claims is 75 percent less reflective than glossy displays on current machines.

The high-resolution Retina Display is the largest of its kind implemented by Apple and the first in a laptop.

Apple's newly-redesigned MagSafe 2 power connector looks to be physically similar to current offerings, though the revamped internals were not on display at the time of this writing.

Apple's new MagSafe 2 connector.

The uni-body chassis is packed with high-density batteries to accomodate the added draw from the Retina Display that will create a higher level of heat compared to current=generation models. As seen in the photo below, the new unit sports an interesting venting setup on its underside to handle the laptop's unique thermal properties.

Underside view of the next-gen MacBook Pro with side vents.

Upgraded connectivity options include USB 3.0 and a dedicated HDMI-out port along with a high-speed Thunderbolt port and SD card reader. With the nixing of an optical drive, Apple has moved three connector ports to the right side of the machine.

I was really surprised that they included the HDMI port. On Apple's website they just say HDMI port but AI describes it as HDMI-out port. The only reason I mention this is that I routinely use my Mac Pro with an Intensity Pro card to capture HDMI in, It would be great if the built in port was bi directional.

Also what is up with the Magsafe 2 shouldn't it be the third generation? The new one looks more like the original out pointing MagSafe than the more recent rear pointing version.

Hmm, looks nice, but a step backwards in some respects. The new magsafe connector for example, what are they thinking? I'm glad they are keeping the current line of MacBook Pros, Retina display on a laptop is a waste. Non-upgradable RAM and HD, no thanks.

Hmm, looks nice, but a step backwards in some respects. The new magsafe connector for example, what are they thinking? This old design would always pop out when you didn't intend it. I'm glad they are keeping the current line of MacBook Pros, Retina display on a laptop is a waste. Non-upgradable RAM and HD, no thanks.

I was really surprised that they included the HDMI port. On Apple's website they just say HDMI port but AI describes it as HDMI-out port. The only reason I mention this is that I routinely use my Mac Pro with an Intensity Pro card to capture HDMI in, It would be great if the built in port was bi directional.

Also what is up with the Magsafe 2 shouldn't it be the third generation? The new one looks more like the original out pointing MagSafe than the more recent rear pointing version.

HDMI capture is difficult due to enforced HDCP encryption. That is why for example SlingBox HD lacks HDMI ports.

I have to look up the Intensity pro card to check how they bypass encryption.

Hmm, looks nice, but a step backwards in some respects. The new magsafe connector for example, what are they thinking? I'm glad they are keeping the current line of MacBook Pros, Retina display on a laptop is a waste. Non-upgradable RAM and HD, no thanks.

The consumer will vote.

There is a reason why the 17 inch is killed of and that Mac book air sells millions.

Retina display is never a waste. Its the feature. Resolution independence will be huge. Its also great when pixel stops working. You can't see the bad pixels.

Memory: Don't you think 8 gig is enough for all people who don't use more then one virtual machine?

The nerds that wants to swap memory, hard drive and other stuff inside their computers are just a couple of percent of the market. Apple aren't for you. Get an Alienware with 15 minutes of battery time.

That looks very nice and i like it but with the discontinuing of the 17 inch mac book pro, i won't make the jump to OS X, i will continue to buy iphones and update my ipad when it is old enough, but a 17 inch screen on a laptop is not only the selling point for me, but its the first requirement.

That said, i like the airport express, i will probably buy one of those, as well as, the new iphone

That MagSafe redesign looks awful. Shame they've apparently killed the 17", guess I'll have to stick with this one until someone else comes up with a 17" laptop worth buying. A 15" is simply too small for my preference, doesn't matter what the screen res is it's just too small for me.

It's the Macbook Prayer! A cross between the Pro and Air! I wonder if this model will perform as good as ye ole macbook pro. That thin chassis must have sacrificed heatsink and fan size for such sexiness. I think I would have preferred an option for a regular MBP with a retina.

Looks like an awesome upgrade from my 1st intel gen mbp (6 yrs old?)
I think iOS development might even be nicer on this than the iMac
the extra res will definitely be a bonus when building apps for retina iPads

I notice they list 17" (starting at $2499) on the main MacBook page, but you can't seem to order it.
I'm thinking of sticking with the previous generation. That's how bad I want a matte 17" display.

If I were buying right now, I'd get the previous generation 17" (possibly refurbished) and then head over to Other World Computing to buy an SSD and the adapter to make it fit in the ODD slot. That would give me an SSD plus a platter disk for storage and would not be all the much slower than the new ones.

"I'm way over my head when it comes to technical issues like this"Gatorguy 5/31/13

Looks real nice. I don't need a new laptop at the moment, but when my current one dies, I'll be picking up one of these new macbook pros for sure.

Regarding the 17", screw the 17"! I'm glad that they killed it. I've always hated 17" laptops, they're not portable and they're really ugly. They also never sold that many of them, compared to the other models. So, anybody who likes or wants a 17" is in the extreme minority, and you are part of a microscopic market segment that just doesn't matter. So in conclusion, screw the 17".

You know even though I'm boiling made about the lack of respect for the desktop I really like this new laptop. We will have to see how it holds up to testing but if performance is as good as i expect there might be a future for the MBP at my house.

Memory: Don't you think 8 gig is enough for all people who don't use more then one virtual machine?

The nerds that wants to swap memory, hard drive and other stuff inside their computers are just a couple of percent of the market. Apple aren't for you. Get an Alienware with 15 minutes of battery time.

Yikes.

I'm a computer technician. It's really nice that someone who bought a Mac laptop 4 years ago with 1 GB of RAM and Leopard can jack it up to 4 GB of RAM and run Lion acceptably well. Without that upgrade, no dice. So you can certainly imagine someone buying a basic configuration today, and in 5 years wanting to take advantage of that vaunted Apple longevity by upgrading the RAM and installing Mac OS 10.11 Pussy Cat. No longer possible. Not cool. And not for nerds only. What a ridiculous comment.

That looks very nice and i like it but with the discontinuing of the 17 inch mac book pro, i won't make the jump to OS X, i will continue to buy iphones and update my ipad when it is old enough, but a 17 inch screen on a laptop is not only the selling point for me, but its the first requirement.

That said, i like the airport express, i will probably buy one of those, as well as, the new iphone

Historically, the apple routers are the most worthless apple products you can buy, with the exception of their OLD airport express which you could use as a repeater and audio out from your computer. Their laptops on the other hand, have been awesome. These look pretty stellar. I'm sure the NEXT version of this same chassis will be awesome. They always seem to have one or two tiny little compromises that get updated with a newer revision. Hopefully that ends up being upgradable ram, and as someone above mentioned, HDMI in/out.

And Mac Pro have the laziest bump in history. No thunderbolt. No usb3. Tim Cook accept substandard products.

The New Apple....

I think they ended up not bumping those to usb3 because they held back on getting the ivy bridge chips for it. I bet once it gets those, it adopts all the bells and whistles that those chips and their supporting cast allow for.

Some might accidentally force shut down their computer but it's a cleaner layout that way.

Not being able to upgrade RAM or SSD after buying isn't too good. If you find the 8GB RAM isn't enough, you have to get a new machine and you won't benefit from SSD prices dropping. It had to come eventually I guess and Apple can make it more reliable this way but if your laptop dies, there's no way to get your data off your machine.

This laptop design has reached its physical minimization limits. Ivy and team need to realize this has run its course. It's as thin as it gets. The SSD only for Retina is a complete joke, especially when SSD is topped at 750MB and the tech itself isn't set for a big leap forward wrt pricing and performance, never mind physical size.

Historically, the apple routers are the most worthless apple products you can buy, with the exception of their OLD airport express which you could use as a repeater and audio out from your computer. Their laptops on the other hand, have been awesome. These look pretty stellar. I'm sure the NEXT version of this same chassis will be awesome. They always seem to have one or two tiny little compromises that get updated with a newer revision. Hopefully that ends up being upgradable ram, and as someone above mentioned, HDMI in/out.

Horse crap. The Airport Extreme Base Station blows the competition out of the water. No comparison in design, performance and longevity.

For those crowing about the Mac Pro mini-"upgrade", how can you possibly be surprised by this? Apple has for years cultivated a closed marketplace platform called the "App Store". They even have it available for, get this, OS X now. And... check this out... every product that's gotten refreshed this year? Doesn't even come with a DVD drive. Mmm hmm... now you see where things are headed?

Be glad there was ANY sort of refresh on the MP... it's most likely the last.

If they spent the resources needed to put out a true update for the MP, it would have had to have had much newer video cards. Apple ain't makin' no money off you fools playing games on tricked out rigs such as those... they makin' they money off them iPads and iPhones by locking you into their closed eco-system. Not so easy to control you on your Mac Pro. (and not so easy to sell the idea of a Mac "Pro" if it did).

I so wish the whole line got this treatment, but they have to get costs down no doubt. Hopefully by the next refresh. And by then Haswell will bring a huge upgrade too, even the 13" will have a big graphics boost from that, enough to drive a retina resolution display.

This laptop design has reached its physical minimization limits. Ivy and team need to realize this has run its course. It's as thin as it gets. The SSD only for Retina is a complete joke, especially when SSD is topped at 750MB and the tech itself isn't set for a big leap forward wrt pricing and performance, never mind physical size.

Completely pointless. Current 17'' already has retina screen for all intents and purposes. At normal viewing distance when it sits on your lap (I'm typing on one right now) you can't see individual pixels and everything is incredibly sharp already. Old gen 15'' really did have blocky text and needed a high res screen.